Souk-el-Arba airfield complex .png) | |
|---|---|
| Part ofRoyal Air Force andTwelfth Air Force | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Military airfield complex |
| Condition | Returned to civilian uses |
| Location | |
 | |
| Coordinates | 36°29′N08°48′E / 36.483°N 8.800°E /36.483; 8.800 |
| Site history | |
| Built | Various dates up to 1943 |
| In use | (By Allied forces) November 1942 to about August 1943 |
TheSouk-el-Arba Airfields are a pair ofWorld War II military airfields inTunisia, located near what was at the time the village of Souk-el-Arba but since 1966 has been known asJendouba. The location is approximately 130 km west-southwest ofTunis.
The original airfield, which pre-datesOperation Torch, was located immediately to the south-east of the town and was captured by paratroops of theBritish 1st Parachute Brigade on 16 November 1942.[1]
Within days, Souk-el-Arba I was used by the Royal Air Force, an example beingNo. 255 Squadron.[2]
The second airfield was constructed later by US military engineers, located about 4 km to the south-west of the town[3] and used primarily by American bombers.
Souk-el-Arba II was a temporary airfield constructed by Army Engineers, using compacted earth for its runway, parking and dispersal areas, not designed for heavy aircraft or for long-term use.
Also known asEngle Field, it was used by theUnited States Army Air ForceTwelfth Air Force during theNorth African campaign. The units known to be assigned to the airfield were:
After the Americans moved east toSicily in August, the airfield was closed and dismantled. Today, the former main runway is visible in aerial photography and, other than two hangars south of the runway, no buildings or physical features remain.
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency